Tag: writing

A massive ring-shaped space station with illuminated windows and extended docking structures, floating in deep space and backlit by a bright star.

From Long Silences to Burning Thrusters

On By Matt FraserIn Musings, Work in Progress3 Comments

It’s been a while.

Longer than I meant it to be, and longer than I would have liked. But stories have a way of waiting for you when you need to step away for a bit, and this past year has been very good at insisting on that. Between a few life-sized plot twists, a move to a new city, and a handful of real-world chapters I hadn’t exactly planned for, this little corner of the internet grew quiet.

But I never stopped thinking about stories.

Some of you remember that, for a long time, I’d been sharing scenes here from The Silence of Ancient Light — a big, serious, slow-burn science fiction project that’s grown into something rather sprawling and strange and dear to me. That story is still very much alive. I haven’t abandoned it. If anything, I’ve learned that sometimes a story needs a little space to breathe, so that when you return, you can see it more clearly.

And while I was letting that one simmer, something unexpected happened.

I began writing a very different kind of story.

It started as a kind of creative palate cleanser — lighter, smaller in scope, faster on its feet. A story more interested in voice and character than in cosmic philosophy. Something that didn’t take itself quite so seriously. And somewhere along the way, that little side project stopped being little. It found its own rhythm. It’s own momentum. Its own sense of fun.

If you read To Wander the Silent Dark, you may remember that I had a bit of fun leaning into rhythm, voice, and the sheer pleasure of language. That, it turns out, was a clue. This new project carries a little of that same energy, though in a very different form.

Right now, I’m deep into the editing stages of that new work. It’s novella-length, quick-moving, and deliberately playful in ways my longer projects rarely are. I’m not quite ready to share details yet — not the title, not the characters, not the plot — but I wanted to let you know that something new is taking shape.

The image below is a small, spoiler-free glimpse of the world it inhabits.

More soon.

And thank you for being here, even when I’ve been quiet.

A massive ring-shaped space station with illuminated windows and extended docking structures, floating in deep space and backlit by a bright star.
A dramatic and atmospheric image illustrating the interior of a damaged starship bridge, illuminated mostly by external starlight creating sharp shadows. Shattered windows with fragments of glass or polycarbonate hint at explosive decompression. A central figure, the commander, is strapped into the command chair, his face and body showing signs of distress and the effects of exposure to space. The bridge appears dark, ruined, and lifeless, with a sole blinking red warning light. Outside the windows, a dark oceanic planet can be seen, with the bright fusion trail of an approaching ship in the distance. The mood is somber, evoking a sense of isolation and imminent danger.

A Grim Discovery and Shattered Hopes

On By Matt FraserIn Alpha Reads, Serial, Work in Progress4 Comments

(The Silence of Ancient Light, continued)

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The darkness did not persist. Lights came on, dimly at first, then gradually brighter, to illuminate the embarkation compartment beyond the airlock, and Anna reached up to turn off her helmet light. She heard as much as felt a rush of warm air blow into the room from the wall vents, though it would take a while to displace the cold that permeated everything. At least that meant there was atmospheric pressure, so the safety systems must have sealed off the depressurized parts of the ship. A slowly pulsing red light over the far hatchway competed with the persistent alarm for her attention, and after each alarm tone, a cool, calm, female voice rang over the speakers.

“Attention. Hull breach detected. Safety interlocks engaged. All personnel don emergency apparatus and report to duty stations.”

Had that alert been sounding repeatedly for… how long had it been? Nine weeks? Ten?

“Attention. Hull breach detected. Safety interlocks engaged. All personnel…”

Read more at

Shattered Hopes

(1,254 words; 5 min reading time)

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Upon returning to the starship, a grim discovery awaits Anna and her crew, along with the realization that outrunning the oncoming Orta ship will be futile. With time running out, all options appear bad, but that has been the case since first being marooned on the alien world of Kepler 62f. Can quick thinking and clever strategies save them now, or are they about to find out what happens to prisoners of an alien species?

Go click that button to find out! And after you’ve read the scene, if you liked it, let me know! Hit that Like button, and to be notified when the next scene is out, hit that Follow button too!

header image credit: Matt Fraser